Door has not been closed that WR Jordy Nelson could later re-sign with Raiders at lesser cost. But his $3 million salary for 2019 was scheduled to become fully guaranteed if on roster Friday. Cash cleared.

Aside from Nelson’s salary, the Raiders also cleared $5 million off the books with the release of McCarron. They are hoping this could go a long way in shoring up their depth on the roster.

There is no question that Nelson is hardly the No. 1 receiver he used to be during his time with the Green Bay Packers after finishing the 2018 campaign with 63 receptions for 739 yards and three touchdowns.

Of course, his modest production can be somewhat attributed to the Raiders lackluster offense last year. This is why Oakland made sure to make a splash with the acquisition of Antonio Brown.

While Brown brings some much-need firepower to Oakland, they will still need to have other viable options available to prevent the defense from keying him as often as possible. Perhaps the Raiders are hoping Nelson can provide them with more bang for their buck as a complementary option in the passing game while playing on a smaller deal.